Easy Spinach Dip

I spent all day yesterday driving home, so no time for a long recipe today. I must have eaten a pound of this stuff during my vacation - try it on sourdough bread!

Ingredients

• 1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped spinach, thawed (use the microwave) and squeezed dry (in a spinner, if you've got one)
• 1 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 pkg. Knorr Swiss dried vegetable soup mix
• 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped finely
• 3 green onions, chopped
  

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours to let flavors meld and dried soup to hydrate. Stir before serving.

Leftovers

I'm still on vacation, so you're getting a post by proxy. Are you trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your leftover turkey and such? Well the Food Network's Alton Brown had a whole show devoted to dealing with that stuff. I just hope you saved the turkey carcass for soup! Check out http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats/the-remains-of-the-bird/index.html

We'll be back to real recipes on Wednesday.

Sloppy Joes

Today we finish our week with another easy recipe based on Saturday's Meat Sauce recipe. And who doesn't love Sloppy Joes? They're sweet. They're tangy. They get your kids to eat something other than pizza and hot dogs. Best of all, they taste good!

Ingredients

• 2½ cups of Saturday's (12/20/08) meat sauce (about ¼ batch), fresh or thawed
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and black pepper
  
• Toasted buns or hearty sandwich bread

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until the surface becomes shimmery. Add bell pepper and saute until it starts to brown, 5-10 minutes. Add sauce, sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until thickened, 5-10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on toasted buns or sandwich bread. Makes 8-10 sandwiches.